DEFENCE EXPENDITURE

Otago Witness, Issue 3338, 6 March 1918, Page 20

DEFENCE EXPENDITURE

TOUR OF COMMISSION. SITTING IN CHRISTCHURCH. CHRISTCHURCH, February 28. Before the Defence Expenditure. Commission to-day Colonel Chaffey (officer commanding the -Canterbury Military District) advocated a local camp for Second Division reservists for preliminary training. In his opinion the Defence Department had become so unwieldy that it could not carry on economically. There was a lot of pinpricking, and the authorities to spend money were so hedged round with restrictions that one was often afraid to spend it. The Chairman: Have you a German internment camp here? —Yes, at Ripa Island. That camp is actually tinder you?—Yes. And GeneraMHeadquarters docs not interfere with you in any way? —No. You are responsible in every way? —Absolutely; I would not take it in any other way. In reply to Mr Rhodes, the witness said the training' received by the' Territorials should do away with at least a month or six weeks of their period in the reinforcement camp, and thereby effect a considerable saving. He did not think it a fair thing that the Railway Department should charge practically a full single fare for transporting men. After the war he would be in favour" of one Territorial training camp in each island, in charge of a regular staff. Every man should go into camp for a month for four years, and weekly parades should be done away with. Captain A. R. White (ordnance officer) said he considered the present conditions quite satisfactory, and there was nothing he could suggest to make things run more smoothly. Major R. S. Matthews (assistant quarter-master-general, Canterbury Military. District) complained that his chief difficulty was in possessing nu authority to spend money. A request to headquarters in Wellington for a grant of £2 10s for a water supralv at the coming camp in the Nelson province met with a reply from Major Nutsford containing eight queries. The Chairman said the amount in dispute would soon run away in witness's time a-nd that of his assistant and the correspondence. Witness: And- brain fag. Witness went on to say that an officer had been refused permission to use his own motor car to cover his own district, and that the matter of connecting the drill hall at Westport with the drainage system had been the subject of correspondence with headquarters since August last. Owing to the rise in the cost of materials, the work would now cost £BO more than was first estimated. In reply to the chairman, witness said he could not account for the delay, unless it was that they were so fearfully busy in Wellington that things had been hung up. The Chairman: So busy that they take on extra work. Witness went on to say that on his own responsibility an officer in Blenheim had got the lighting., of the drill hall attended to, and witness had to write asking him why ho did it on his own responsibility, though he knew perfectly well. The Chairman: So this system, which you regard as pernicious, starting from headquarters, must percolate right through?— Yes. In teply to further questions, witness said many of the circulars received from headquarters were almost a repetition of previous ones, necessitating very often most of the work being done all over again by the district officers. The commission adjourned till to-morrow. March 2. Captain Robertson, Assistant Adjutantgeneral for the Canterbury District, giving evidence "to-day before the Defence Expenditure Commission, detailed the work of the department. Ho complained that too many orders were issued, especially in regard to' recruiting matters. He urged decentralisation. Under present conditions it was difficult to apportion the blame for duplications and defects. If a change were made 75 per cent, of the staff directing recruiting could be done without. The department was bound down by too many regulations. The" staffs wero given no credit for the exercise of brain-power. Everything was being done in a stereotyped manner, and the officers wero disinclined to make suggestions to be turned down. Major Conway, Group Commander at Christchureh," gave evidence of overlapping, and suggested that insufficient discretion was allowed by the Wellington office. Major W. C. Morrison, General Staff Officer, said, in his opinion, that New Zealand was not getting anything, like value from the' Territorial Force for the money spent on it. Through various causes onethird of the value of the training was lost. He expounded a method by which a trained force would emerge from the Territorials each year. He favoured district camps. Lieutenant A. G. MacDonald, Assistant Director of Supplies and Transport, said he though moro reciprocity should obtain between the supply officers in the various districts. When he saw the likelihood of a scarcity of carbide he sent advice to Wellington. The price then was £3O per ton. When a reply came it had risen to £6O. Other evidence was given, referring chiefly to the delay_ at headquarters in dealing with requisitions, some of which were months old. March 1. The Defence Expenditure Commission resumed to-day. Lieutenant A. G. MacDonald, Assistant Director of Supplies and Transport in the Canterbury district, reappeared, submitting his proposed scheme in connection with supplies. ( Sergeant-major Glover gave information regarding the working of camps in India compared with this dominion. ' r _ Miss Blanche E. Bougham gave evidence regarding conscientious objectors. She suggested that the position would be relieved

if they were given civil tasks instead of military work, at soldiers' pay. The Commission went this afternoon to Hanmer, in order to inspect the Queen Mary Hospital.